hello and welcome back to "newsline" i'm shery ahn. we begin this hour with breaking news. the international court of justice has ruled that japan's whaling in the arctic ocean is not for research purposes, and is calling for the country to not continue the whaling program as it is. now, the australian government brought the case to the court in the hague to stop japan's research whaling in the antarctic four years ago. a judge says they don't believe japan has been conducting the

practice for research purposes. the country has been hunting whales in the antarctic ocean for nearly three decades. a judge is still giving his ruling in the netherlands. we'll have more updates on this developing story as we get them. world scientists have issued a stark warning on climate change. they say global warming poses a threat to world food stocks and human security after concluding a conference in yokohama, japan. nhk world's kurando tago has more. >> reporter: united nations intergovernmental panel for climate change or ipcc finished a closed meeting. it addressed the impact of climate change on both people and the planet. more than 300 leading scientists from around the world have contributed to the 2600 page report, the first update in seven years. it concludes that climate change is already having an effect, and poses risk to human and natural

systems. on all continents, and across the ocean. >> nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change. >> reporter: the report warns that the worst is yet to come. it points out that climate-related hazards affect poor people's lives through direct impact on their livelihoods. for example, in africa, a shortage of water and extreme temperatures could reduce crop productivity. it could lead to increased food prices, and food insecurity. the authors also warn, for the first time, that climate change, combined with poverty, could lead to conflict such as civil war and intergroup violence. it also points out that the poor are not the only ones to lose out. although it is difficult to estimate, they say, if the temperatures increase by two

degrees celsius, the world would lose an estimated 0.2% and 2% of the global income. the scientists most sobering report yet concludes that world governments are already beyond the point at which they need to cut greenhouse gas emissions. and they should plan for seawalls and other types of infrastructure that can offer people the necessary protection from what could lie ahead. kurando tago, nhk world. japan and north korea have agreed to continue high level government contact. a japanese diplomat reported on the progress of bilateral consultations after a two-day meeting with north korean representatives in beijing. the japanese foreign ministry's asian and oceanic affairs chief said the talks were sincere and candid. the meeting was the first of its kind in 16 months. items on the agenda included issues surrounding the abduction

of japanese nationals by north korea. pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs were also a focus of discussion. ihara says the japanese side reiterated tokyo's stanz on the abductions. he noted they also launched a protest against north korea's ballistic missile launch last week. japan stressed that the launch violated u.n. security council resolutions and bilateral agreements. he added that another meeting will be arranged through diplomatic channels. south korean military officials say north korea has fired more than 500 projectiles, mainly rockets, and that at least 100 have fallen in the south's territorial waters. the country has responded by firing more than 300 shells in to waters off the north. officials say north korean troops held a drill shortly after noon on monday near a maritime boundary between the two koreas, close to south korean islands, including yeonpyeong. the north fired artillery rounds at the island in 2010, killing four people.

military officials moved the residents of the island's yeonpyeong and baengnyeong to safer locations on monday. on sunday the north denounced a u.s./south korean joint military exercise that began on thursday. about 14,000 troops are taking part in the drill. it's one of the largest u.s./south korea military exercises in more than 20 years. leaders in north korea are threatening to carry out what they call a new form of nuclear test. they're reacting to criticism from the u.n. security council for their latest missile launches. foreign ministry officials issued a statement. they wrote that the security council unjustly condemned them for launching midrange missiles last week. they called the launches self-defense drills. they said they're firing off the missiles in defense of what they call the increasingly hostile policies of the united states. the north koreans say if the u.s. conducts their drills again they won't rule out conducting a new form of nuclear test.

they do not clarify what that meant. the north koreans have launched a number of missiles towards the sea of japan over the last several weeks. diplomatic sources say officials in pyongyang have warned north korean fishing and cargo ships in those waters to be on the alert until tuesday. south korean commanders have sent ships equipped with the aegis missile defense system to the area. international teams have looked for the malaysia airlines plane for more than three weeks. they've covered thousands of square kilometers over land and sea. now they're taking their search under water. u.s. forces have provided the teams with what's known as a black box pinger locator. it detects signals from flight recorders. the americans have also provided an unmanned underwater vehicle to carry the device. the crews that will use the equipment are heading out from perth, australia, on board an australian navy ship.

they'll search an area in the southern indian ocean. teams on planes and ships from six countries scoured the same area on sunday. they spotted some objects but they did not pick up anything and they haven't confirmed whether any of the objects were part of the missile airliner. philippine government officials are asking an international tribunal to resolve a dispute in the south china sea. they say china's territorial claims violate the u.n. convention of the law of the sea. the details of the plea have not been made public. but the philippines government is believed to be arguing that the country's sovereignty is threatened by china's increased maritime activities. the government filed for arbitration and hearings began last year in the hague. the chinese government has refused to participate in the hearings. it says the philippines complaint cannot be decided by a court judgment. vietnam and malaysia also have territorial disputes with china but the philippines is the first

country to seek a judgment over the issue at an international tribunal. the u.s. state department's deputy spokesperson marie harf weighed in by issuing a statement on sunday. it says the united states supports the exercise of peaceful means to resolve maritime disputes without the fear of any form of retaliation, including intimidation and coercion. a german magazine has reported that a u.s. court allowed the national security agency to spy on 11 countries, including japan and germany. der spiegel allegedly obtained the classified information from former nsa contractor edward snowden. the weekly magazine says the nsa obtained court orders for many of these operations. it says the court granted agents permission to monitor germany in march of last year. and it claims 122 world leaders were under surveillance in may 2009.

previous claims the nsa eavesdropped on german chancellor angela merkel's cell phone have deepened distrust of the united states. to the latest in business now. officials from japan and the european union have started their fifth round of free trade talks. high on the agenda are tariffs on european wine and japanese cars. the negotiators are meeting at tokyo through friday to work out an economic partnership agreement. in this round the two sides are aiming to exchange lists of tariffs that will show which ones they're willing to eliminate or reduce, and by how much. eu officials have been urging japan to remove tariffs on european wine. japanese officials are considering taking such a step in stages over seven years following the conclusion of the epa. meanwhile japan is calling on the eu to eliminate tariffs on japanese cars, and televisions. eu officials are showing a willingness to abolish tariffs

on some auto parts. now eu officials are planning to review the progress of the bilateral talks in april, and decide whether to keep pursuing an epa with japan. the negotiators started negotiations just about a year ago. let's get a check of the markets now. most asian bourses ended the first quarter of 2014 on a pose five note. here's how the region finished out this monday. investors braced for a busy week of key economic data for major economies. tokyo's nikkei closed at its highest level in more than two weeks. in fact, the nikkei climbed 0.9% to 14,827, making a fourth straight day of gains. fund managers bought stocks before closing their books on this last trading day of fiscal 2013 in japan. a weaker yen also lent a bit of support to overall sentiment. in hong kong the hang seng index gained nearly 0.4%, 22,151. investors bought shares of casino operators before the

release of macau gambling revenue data. but one of the top chinese oil producers faced heavy selling on disappointing earnings and this capped the index's advance today. the shanghai composite declined, as well, 0.4%. it was down to 2,033, at the close. that was a fourth consecutive day of declines there. investors a bit cautious ahead of china's manufacturing data that comes out on tuesday. they don't expect those numbers to be all that robust. shoppers here in japan are trying to beat a midnight deadline. the consumption tax goes up on tuesday from 5% to 8%. and people are rushing out to save some yen while they still can. shoppers are streaming into department stores in tokyo's upscale district. many are buying jewelry as well as brand-name cosmetics. >> translator: i wanted to stock up on cosmetic products, because they're expensive. >> store managers say march sales are up 30% from a year

ago. many are buying toilet paper, detergent, as well as other essentials with long shelf lives. >> translator: i've been shopping all day. i have to save as much money as i can. >> managers at stores selling wedding dresses say they've received more orders than usual. couples planning to get married many months from now, or even next year, have started preparing already for the big day. >> translator: i'm getting married in september. i want to buy my dress while the tax is still 5%. >> retailers catering to late night shoppers do expect a last-minute rush before the new tax rate kicks in at midnight. japanese people are also rushing to buy houses before the tax hike. housing starts in february rose for the 18th straight month. but the rate of increase has slowed, and what the government calls a backlash against the hike. officials with the land ministry say housing starts stood at nearly 70,000 units last month.

that's up 1% from the same month last year. but the officials say the rate of increase fell to its lowest point in 18 months. and they warned that the figure could decline after march, and remain weak for the next six months or so. many in japan recognize that the government needs more revenue to gore ballooning social security costs. but the tax hike will add an average of nearly $900 to the annual household bill and pensioners, in particular, are feeling the pinch from this. nhk world has the story. >> reporter: many elderly people haven't been looking forward to spring this year. they say, the consumption tax increase will further strain their finances. they are already dealing with a gradual cut of pension payouts. >> translator: i'm still having a can of beer every night. and i may consider not going to the hair salon as often to save

money. >> translator: without enjoyment i may not feel the desire to keep on living. >> reporter: people with lower incomes will feel the impact of the consumption tax hike more than others. researchers say for households with an annual income of $100,000, tax payments will account for about 3% of their overall expenses. it is about 6% for households earning $30,000. and it will rise to nearly 8% for retired couple living on a pension. 83-year-old taiokono has been living alone since her husband passed away. her monthly pension amounts to about $1,500. that's about an average payout

for her category. now she's looking at reducing her food budget which accounts for about a quarter of her expenses. she uses the home delivery service to buy ingredients and other things. she now mainly orders bargain priced items. >> i've been on a strict budget because of my small pension so i'm having to dig into the little savings i have. yrt she has medical expenses, too. she suffers from chronic back pain, and high blood pressure. she visits a clinic every day.s pain, and high blood pressure. she visits a clinic every day.t. she suffers from chronic back pain, and high blood pressure. she visits a clinic every day. the tax hike will increase the amount she pays for appointments

and medicines. she's worried about what will happen. >> translator: if my pension money is cut, and medical and nursing care bills go up, i cannot visit doctors that often. i'm really concerned about that. it will become difficult to live. >> reporter: the government will provide a temporary benefit for some low-income earners. but, analysts point out that longer-term measures may be needed to moderate the impact of the tax hike. government officials, however, are thinking about an even higher consumption tax. they say this would be necessary to keep supporting the pensioners. japanese leaders have been borrowing vast amounts of money to sustain the social security

system. they believe the consumption tax hike is only the first step for paying the monthly bills for this country's aging society. daisuke azuma, nhk world, tokyo. all right. mitsubishi motors has bought an old plant from ford in the philippines as part of its plans to boost output. the japanese automaker already has a 20% share in the fast-growing market. mitsubishi says it will vacate its aging production base and move to the plant, which ford shuttered two years ago, on the outskirts of manila. production of sedans and commercial vehicles is to start there next january. eventually mitsubishi aims to raise output by more than 60% to 50,000 units per year. mitsubishi is second only to toyota in the philippines. it's also mulling the construction of a new plant in indonesia. okay. that is going to do it for biz this hour. let's see what's going on in the markets.

japanese people have always felt a strong connection with the sea. now one aquarium is offering people a unique view of the maritime world. it has just launched an interactive digital aquarium. nhk world has more. >> reporter: i'm at this aquarium located in shiba

prefecture, just a two-hour drive from central tokyo. now it's home to more than 800 species. more people are visiting during this past month and compared to last march, visitors are actually up 15%. take a look at this long line, and there's people crowding behind me. they'll tell you more why. usually when you think of an aquarium you think of a big tank filled with many types of different fish. but, take a look at this. this 3-d computer graphic reproduced a coral reef. the project manager of this aquarium says it's japan's first interactive digital aquarium. it was launched in march. now there's more to it than just watching the animation. visitors can actually use this interactive panel to play a part in deciding what happens on the

screen. so i'm going to show you. excuse me. i chose the indian mackerel and i've already colored it. let me color it some more. and you can also use a design. drawing the eyes. and then once you're done you press okay. and then the fish disappears from the interactive panel. and here we go. here's my personalized fish. and it's about to swim in the virtual coral. and it's actually swimming by itself. but take a look at the movement of the indian mackerel. now when these species sense danger, they migrate in groups to protect themselves from predators. the virtual aquarium reproduces the behavior of these species. another example is the

relationship between clown fish and see anemones. they form a partnership to protect each other. the interactive aspect allows anyone from kids to even adults to learn how the coral reef ecosystems work, while also having fun. >> translator: it's great because it provides an easy way to know more about the characteristics, and the movement of the fish i choose. >> translator: it's so much fun. >> reporter: the space is designed so you can compare the digital aquarium to the real one. here's a real-life version of the same environment. coral reefs play a crucial role in the marine environment. climate change and other factors mean that they're in danger. now this interactive aquarium is fun but the project manager here says it has a and southeast asia every

weekday, live from bangkok, only on nhk world "newsline." let's now bring in our meteorologist sayaka mori. gorgeous weather in tokyo today. perfect to n'diaye the cherry blossoms. can we expect the conditions to last throughout the week? >> yes, shery. sunny and warm conditions in tokyo will continue at least into thursday but on friday, it's going to be quite stormy. so hopefully you can arrange a cherry blossom viewing by thursday. yesterday was a very stormy nationwide. this was the scene in sendai. take a look. a strong storm system moved through japan sunday bringing heavy rain, and high winds. here's video from sun die. winds of 55 kilometers per hour were reported. some residents received almost 40 millimeters of rain sunday. the storm still affected sendai this morning causing over 100 kilometers per hour gusts. quite stormy conditions in northern japan this morning. and the system caused quite a

strong winds for hokkaido, as well. this has pulled away so conditions are gradually looking up in northern japan. and with this high pressure system, things are quite warm across most of the country, and because of that, cherry blossoms have started to bloom. the cherry blossoms will continue to creep toward the north into hokkaido. cherries are already blooming because of the recent warm temperatures. the warmer weather -- warm air is meeting up with cooler or actually summerlike warmth over southeastern china causing severe thunderstorms. we're talking about heavy rain and a risk of hail, as well. this will continue in to your tuesday, raising the potential for flooding as well as landslides. quite warm in hong kong. 23 degrees for the high, with thundershowers. but just to the south, extremely warm, 38 degrees in yangon. just a couple of degrees higher than average. light sunshine for you. hazy conditions in bangkok with

35 degrees. the same goes for manila on tuesday. all right, across the americas we have been talking about very bad weather for the northwestern u.s., and western canada, over the past several days. well, we have another system coming in from the pacific. but this time it's going to be producing heavy rainfall for the southern parts of california. this is quite good news for you, because this one, has been dealing with lack of precipitation over the past several weeks. winter conditions for the northern areas. meanwhile, mid winterlike conditions are still affecting most of the mid parts of the u.s., looking like blustery, and snowy for the high plains. we're expecting about 50 centimeters of snow to fall in to the next 24 hours. with gusts of about 80 kilometers per hour. similar story over the northeastern corner of the u.s., and eastern canada. the canadian maritimes with blizzard conditions to continue throughout your monday. temperatures for the coastal areas, not too bad. in fact 16 degrees for you,

springlike conditions for washington, d.c. 12 degrees in new york, with rainy conditions on the flip side of the continent in the mid teens in san francisco with rainy weather on monday. all right, across europe, looking quite nasty over the western parts of the iberian peninsula, as well as the british isles. but in the middle of europe, quite gorgeous, sunny weather and summerlike conditions, and across the still winter is gripping western russia including moscow. snow will likely continue into your wednesday in moscow but in the middle of europe as well as western europe temperatures will be like summer and that will be continuing into the next couple of days. all right here's the extended forecast.

and here is our top story once again. the international court of justice has ruled that japan's whaling in the antarctic ocean is not for scientific purposes, and is calling for the country to not continue the whaling program as it is. the australian government brought the case to the court in the hague to stop japan's research whaling in the antarctic four years ago.

the ruling raises the possibility that the nation may no longer be able to continue the program. the country has been hunting whales in the antarctic ocean for nearly three decades. australian lawyers have argued that hundreds of whales are caught each year for commercial purposes. they say the meat is often sold in markets across japan. the japanese counterparts have argued the number is needed for research, and selling any extra meat is permitted under international laws. and that's all from me today. gene otani will be here at the top of the hour with more updates. thank you for watching. >> you are watching "france 24."

here are the headlines for you. paris gets its first female mayor, but the victory for the socialist is overshadowed by the ruling party's losses around the rest of france. the anti-immigration national front hardly could push the president to announce a cabinet reshuffle. turkish primehe minister is claiming victory in the municipal elections. the main opposition group said it they will appeal the results. a landmark report on climate